Ore concentrating device



Oct. 16, 1934. s, R. DONER ET AL 1,976,840

ORE CONCENTRATING' DEVICE Filed Nov. 21, 19:53

2g ZZ 27 79 2 A g i0 Z 4 79 47 ,H o c o n 6 f6 0 o o 6 f5 74 72 /fa J0 f 19 O -lli o o Patented Oct. 16, 1934 so STATES missie 1,976,840 ons ooNoENTRA'rING DEVICE Sherman R. Doner, Philip H. Stevenson, and

David M. Tiller, Denver, Colo.

Application November 21, 1933, Serial No. 699,001

9 Claims. (Cl. 299-452) This invention relates to improvements in devices for concentrating ores and has reference more particularly to a device that is especially Well adapted for'use in concentrating dry ground ore or placer sand, but which can also be operated with wet ore pulp.

It is the object of this invention to produce a simple and substantial machine that can be made at a comparatively small expense and which will have a large capacity for its size and which will also be exceptionally efficient for the purpose of concentrating ores either in the form of placer gravel and sand 'or in the form of ground ore.

vl5 `This invention, briefly described, consists in theemployment of an elongated trough having a variable cross sectional area from one end towards the other and which is so mounted that material can be fed to the larger end whereupon the trough is subjected to a movement that will cause they material to travel towards the smaller end thereof.V The cross sectional area preferably changes gradually from the larger towards the smaller end and therefore as the material approaches the smaller end, it will overflow, thereby leaving only Athel nner and heavier materials to be discharged at the extreme small end. Means is provided in connection with the trough for subjecting it to vibration for the purpose of facilitating the stratification of the material and its movementl along the trough.

Having thus briey described-the invention, the same`will now bedescribed in detail, and

'35 for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, and in which: y

Fig. lis a side elevation of the preferred construction; f

Fig. `2 isa section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3W isa section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, andshows the scoop employed for feeding material tothe ylarge end of the trough; Fig. .4 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 5,`portions being'shown in Section;

Fig. 5 is a View looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 4;

Fig.A 6 is a View looking `in Vthe direction of arrow, 6, Fig. 4; l

Fig. 7 is a section through two adjacent coils of the trough showing'one cross sectional shape thereof;

Fig. s isa view showing the trough. bent uit@ the form of a cylindrical helix, whose lower portion extends into a water tank; and

Fig. 9 is a View looking in the direction of arrow 9, Fig. 8, portions being-shown in cross section.

Ain the drawing reference numeral l0 represents a portion of the supporting vframe employed in connection with this machine, and reference numerals 11- and 12 represent Vertical frame members to the upper ends of which transverse frame members 13 and 14 are respectively connected. Supported on the upper surface of frame member 13 is a bearing 15 for the reception ofk one end of the shaft 16. A similar bearing 17 is Asecured to the upper surface of 7o frame member 14. Secured to the end of the shaft adjacent the bearing 15 is a spider or a supporting disk 18 to whichone end of each of the supporting angle irons 19 is connected. Secured to the shaft adjacent the bearing 17 is a 75' circular disk 2G to Whichare secured four or more radially extending arms 21. One endof each of the angle irons 19 is connected with the outer end of an arm 21 as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Located within the frame 80 comprising the angle irons 1 9 is a trough which, in the embodiment illustrated, has been shown as bent into the form of a frusto-conical helixl The helix is fastened to the angle irons by means of a number of bolts 22 which extend lthrough 85 y the 4flange of the angle iron and through an opening in the bar 23, whose ends areattached to adjacent coils of the helix in the manner shown in Fig. 2. Between the head of the bolt and the inside of the bar 23 a helical spring 24 90 is placed so as to provide a resilient ,support for the trough. The cross sectional area of the trough is larger at the larger end of the helix than at the smaller end and preferably decreases at a uniform rate :from the large end tothe small end, but the main consideration is to produce a trough having a larger cross sectional area at the end where the material is fed to the trough than at the end where it isdischarged therefrom, so as to produce-a concentrating action in a manner which will be hereinafter described.

The largerv end of the trough which has been indicated by reference numeral 25 in'Fig. 3 terminates adjacent one of the supporting angle 10 irons v19 and extending forwardly from this end ofthe trough is a scoop 26 which has a troughlikev shape, but which is curved in the mannerV shown in Fig. 3 so that the leading end of thescoop extends-beyond the outer circumference of the largest coil of the helical trough and this end of the scoop is attached to one of the supporting angles by means of straps or bars 27. Located underneath the scoop is a receptacle 28 into which the material is fed and from which it is removed by the scoop and delivered to the end of the trough as the machine is rotated in a manner which will hereinafter more fully appear.

A ring 29 extends around the outside of the angle irons 19 and is spaced from the latter by means of blocks 30, as shown in Fig. 4. Each of the blocks is provided with a pin 31 that extends through an opening 32 in the: ring 29- which opening is larger than the pin, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. At different poinf.. around its periphery, the ring 29l is connected with the straps 23, which join the two larger turns of the helix, by means of straps 33 as shownA in Fig. 2. The ring 29 is a part of the vibrating apparatus, andA cooperating with this ring is a device comprising a rotatable shaftf34 that is journalled in a bearing 35. One end of .this shaft `has, an eccentric pin 3,6 to Whichga plate 37 is connected. From Fig. 5 it can be seenrthat four rollers 38 have been pivotally attached to .the plate 37 and spaced apart soas to permit the ring 29 to pass between `theradjarcent pairs of rollers. When thev shaft 34 is rotated, the plate 37,1willvbe given a ,circular motion, one component of which is in the direction of the ring 29, While the other component is in a direction transverse thereto, and therefore whenever the shaft 34 is rotated, the ring will be subjected to a yibratory force that will operate through `the ring to set the coils 'of the trough in vibration for the purpose of facilitating the movement and the stratication of the material located in the trough. e

The means for vibrating justr described is merely intended to represent in a general way a means for this purpose, as it is contemplated to employ specifically different means to produce these vibrations. The shaft 34 is provided with a pulley 39 with which the belt 40 is rotatively connected. Y e Y For the purpose of imparting to the frame and to the trough a rotary movement, means has been provided for rotating the shaft 16. In the accompanying. drawing a motor 41 has been shown. This motor maybe either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, ory it may also be a steam engine as the only requirement is that `it shall produce the necessary power to operate the machine. The belt extends from the drive pulley 42 ofthe motor over a grooved pulley 43 that is attached to the end of shaft 44. The shaft 44 operates through a worm gear mechanism enclosed in a housing 45 and imparts rotation tothe shaft 46 which is rotatable about an axis at right angles to the `axis of shaft 44. A sprocket Wheel 47 is connected with utheshaft 46 and another sprocket wheel 48 with the shaft 16, While a sprocket chain 49 transmits motion from the sprocket wheel A4'7 to the sprocket wheel 48. Y The motor is so connected with the device that when it is running, it will turn `the shaft 16 and the trough in a counterclockwise'-direction when viewed as in Fig. 3.y y e It will now be apparent that whenever the engine isoperating, the helical troughwill berotated about its axis and at the same time it will be vibrated by means of the vibrating mechanism illustrated, or some equivalent vibrating device, At every ,turn of the troughthe scoopZ.

will pick material from the box 28 and deposit this into the larger end of the trough during rotation. The amount of material fed to the trough at each turn should be less than that required to entirely ll the trough so that the material will not start flowing over the edges of the trough until it has made at least two complete turns.

' It will be evident that since the'cross sectional area of the trough diminishes from the intake to the discharge end, the material will start voverflowing the sides of the trough as soon as it reaches a position in which the cross sectional area is not sufliciently large to contain the material, and as it approaches the discharge end more and more of the material will overflow the edges of the trough, until only the very finest and heaviest particles of the material will be left in the trough as it reaches the extreme discharge end thereof, and this concentrate will then be deposited in a box 50, provided for this purpose.

VIt will be seen from Fig. 2 that the trough has a substantially flat bottom with sides extending at right angles-thereto, as such a shape facilitates the sliding of the material and prevents rolling and therefore serves to facilitate stratification which is quite essential to arsuccessful separation. In Fig. 7 a trough having a V-shaped cross sectionvhas been Vshown and this maybe satisfactoryrin some cases, and it is, our intention to employ whatever shape of cross sectionis found to be best for the particuf lar Work which the machine is to accomplish.

The shlaft 16 is inclinedvfromthe larger end of the trough to the smaller end in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. One object of inclining this shaft is to put the turns of the helical trough `which arefon-the ascending side in as near a perpendicular position as possible, as this facilitates the movement of the material in lthe trough. The inclination of the 'shaft can be greater than that illustrated and is preferably equal to the angular ypitch of the helix, but this is not an essential requirement as the machine will perform its function in a fairly satisfactory manner, even if the shaft rotates on a horizontal axis. f

In Figs. l and 2,v the trough hasbeen shown asbent into a frusto-conical helix, but it can also be bent into the form of a cylindrical helix, as shown in Fig. 8. The form of the trough shownin Fig. 8 is especially desirable whenever wet material is to be concentrated, and when the machine is to be vused for this purpose, a tank 5l isprovided for containing waterand the `under side of the helix extends into the water so that the surface of the water extends above the sides of the helix, v and therefore Whenever ore, either ground or unground, is present in thetrough, and the latter is rotated, the action will be similar to that of a miners pan and the heavy particles will slide along the bottom while the lighter particles willy gradually overow the sides of the trough, thereby per# mitting'only theY concentrates `to be discharged from the small end.`

' On account of the simplicity of theconstruction and the comparative cheapness of its manufacture, this machine is especially well adapted I is therefore evident that this machine is of special importance where mining operations are to becarried out far from water 'or railtransportation.

Having described the invention what we claim as new is:

1. An ore concentrating device comprising an elongated trough bent into the form of a helix, a trunnion at each endof the helix, the several coils of the helix being separated by a space, the open side of the trough being on the inside of the helix, the cross sectional area of the trough being larger at one end than at the other, means for turning the helix in such a direction that material deposited in the larger end will move towards the end having the smaller cross sectional area, and means for feeding material to the larger end of the helix whereby it will be subjected to a stratifying action as the helix is rotated and whereby the lighter material will be discharged over the sides of the trough and fall through the space between the coils and the concentrate discharged at the smaller end thereof.

2. An ore concentrating device comprising an elongated trough bent into the form of a helix, a trunnion at each end of the helix, the several coils of the helix being separated by a space, the open side of the trough being on the inside of the helix, the cross sectional area of the trough being larger at one end than at the other,'means for turning the helix in such a direction that material deposited in the larger end will move towards the end having the smaller cross sectional area, means for vibrating the trough, and means for feeding material to the larger end of the helix whereby it will be subjected to a stratifying action as the helix is rotated and whereby the lighter material will be discharged over the sides of the trough and fall through the space between the coils and the concentrate discharged at the smaller end thereof.

3. An ore concentrating machine comprising, in combination, a trough curved into the shape of an elongated frusto-conical helix, the several coils of the helix beingA separated by a space, a trunnion at each end of the helix, the trunnions being axially aligned and concentric with the axis of the helix, a supporting bearing for each trunnion, the open side of the trough being towards the inside, the transverse cross section of the trough being largest at the larger end of the helix and smallest at the smaller end thereof, means for feeding placer material to the larger end of the trough, and means for rotating the helix about its axis in such a direction that material will move towards the smaller end whereby a stratification of the material will occur and whereby the lighter material will overflow the sides of the trough and fall through the space between the coils thereby permitting the conl oentrates to be discharged from the small end thereof.

4. An ore concentrating machine comprising, in combination, a trough curved into the shape of an elongated frusto-conical helix, the several coils of the helix being separated by a space, a trunnion at each end of the helix, the trunnions being axially aligned and concentric with the axis of the helix, a supporting bearing for each trunnion, the open side of the trough being towards the inside, the transverse cross section of the trough being largest at the larger end of the helix and smallest at the smaller end thereend thereof.

5. An ore concentrating machine, comprising, in combination, a trough curved into the shape of an elongated frusto-conical helix, the several coils of the helix being separated by a space, a trunnion at each end of the helix, the trunnions being in axial alignment with the axis of the helix, a supporting bearing for each trunnion, the trunnion at the smaller end of the helix being lower than that at the larger end by such an amount that the axis of the helix will be inclined at an angle substantially equal to the angular pitch of the helix, the transverse cross section area of the trough being largest at the larger end of the helix and smallest at the smaller end thereof, means for rotating the helix in such a direction that the end having the largest cross section points in the direction of rotation, whereby material will continually move to portions of smaller cross sectional area and a portion overflow and fall through the space between the coils, and means for feeding placer material to the larger end.

6. An ore concentrating machine, comprising, in combination, a trough curved into the shape of an elongated frusto-conical helix, the several coils of the helix being separated by a space, a trunnion at each end of the helix, the trunnions being in axial alignment with the axis of the helix, a supporting bearing for each trunnion, the trunnion at the smaller end of the helix being lower than that at the larger end by such an amount that the axis of the helix will be inclined at an angle substantially equal to the angular pitch of the helix, the transverse cross section area of the trough being largest at the larger end of the helix and smallest at the smaller end thereof, whereby when material moves from the larger towards the small end some of it will overow and fall through the space between the coils, means for rotating the helix in such a direction that the end having the largest cross section points in the direction of rotation, means for feeding placer material to the larger end, and means for vibrating the trough to facilitate the movement of the material along the trough and to produce a stratiiication of the material as it slides along the trough.

7. An ore concentrating device comprising, in combination, an elongatedl hollow frame mounted for rotation about its axis, a helical trough located within the frame and coaxially aligned therewith, the open side of the trough being on the inside, one end of the trough having a cross sectional area larger than the other end, resilient means for attaching the helical trough to the frame, means for rotating the frame and trough so that material will ow from the end of larger cross section to the end of smaller cross section, and means for feeding placer material to the end of larger cross section.

8. An ore concentrating device comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow frame mountthematerial along the trough'.andvstratioation f thereof. '1- l 9.1 A concentrating device icomprsing, in combination, "an elongated helical trough having a substantially-flat bottom, the cross sectional area decreasing from one end towards the other fend`,x the' severalf coils V,being separated. by

a space, means for feeding material .tothe larger"` end, and means for impartingto ,the material a movement towards. `the smaller i end -Whereby some ofthe material will overflow and vfall .throughthe space between the coils, whereby the material will take place. VDAVID M. TILLER.

SHERMAN R. DONER. .PHILIP H. STEVENSON.

av concentration of 

